How to safely remove the grilles

Alan,

I know they are supposed to be left on while listening, but i really would like to open it up to see those beautiful Radial. It has been 2 weeks since my C7 ES3 arrived at my home.

I saw people suggested using paper clips in another thread which i could not figure out how it works, i could get one clip in and when i pull it , it seems so tight that i will not come out or do i need to make use of 2 ?

How do you remove them at Harbeth/ yourself? it seems very tightly fitted.

I promise to put i back for listening. its like if you bought a Jaguar, surely one would want to open the bonnet to have a look.

Re: How to safely remove the grilles

OK, we've hunted down the best paper clip following the great suggestions from our users and plan to make a little video of this for release here over the next week or so. Remember: we recommend that your Harbeth grilles are left on, but if you insist in removing them, this tool may be needed. If the grilles come off easily themselves, you do not need this tool.

In the meantime, here is a picture of the tool with dimensions. We recommend the brass clip compared to the standard shiny steel one, as it is stiffer and is also a little thicker. These are sold as "large brass paperclips" in a packet of 50. You will need a pair of pliars to make the 7mm bend. Note, this 7mm needs to be accurately made.

Special tool for removing grilles

Noel at Skylan has invented an ingenious tool for removing even tight grilles. He's made a prototype which he's demonstrated on this little video I made at CES Jan 09. The removal tool is called the Syklan "Grille Remova".

If there is any serious interest in this he will consider selling it at a reasonable price in a final form. Only one piece is required per pair of speakers as once one corner has been pulled out, you can reposition the tool on another corner and work around the speaker pulling each corner individually if needed.

Re: Special tool for removing grilles

Originally Posted by A.S.

Noel at Skylan has invented an ingenious tool for removing even tight grilles. He's made a prototype which he's demonstrated on this little video I made at CES Jan 09. The removal tool is called the Syklan "Grille Remova".

If there is any serious interest in this he will consider selling it at a reasonable price in a final form. Only one piece is required per pair of speakers as once one corner has been pulled out, you can reposition the tool on another corner and work around the speaker pulling each corner individually if needed.

.

Seriously, if I have to buy an accessories to open the bonnet or boot of my Jaguar, I would not even consider owning a Jaguar in the first place.

Re: How to safely remove the grilles

We've tried to be helpful to our users. I'm sorry that we can't satisfy this user who states in his profile that he is a Harbeth owner. A considerable amount of thought and effort has gone into this with two solutions presented here.

I recall that we have mentioned here quite frequently that all Harbeth speakers are actually designed to be used with the grille on. This may be counter-intuitive but that's how we work. I guess removing the grille could be alikened to driving that Jaguar with the bonnet removed and the motor exposed. There are always methods for opening the bonnet ....

Re: Special tool for removing grilles

Originally Posted by feuilly

Seriously, if I have to buy an accessories to open the bonnet or boot of my Jaguar, I would not even consider owning a Jaguar in the first place.

Removal of a speaker grille isn't so much akin to opening the bonnet of your Jaguar, it's more like removing the crankcase. While you might have an innate desire to run the engine with the crankcase off so you can admire the wonderful crankshaft and beautiful valve gear, you know it would be unwise to do so.

It's only fashion and fascination that drives you to remove the grille of loudspeakers - that and the fact that some makers seem incapable of producing an acoustically transparent grille. In most environments, the protection afforded by the grille, against accidents that can damage fragile cones - even beautiful RADIAL ones, is rather valuable.

Which sounds better - a grille that's a little too tight (when new) or one that's a little too loose?

Re: How to safely remove the grilles

I think most harbeth users knew that they should use the speakers with grille on while most of us want to take it off to look at the cones, be it for inspect for damages for simple admire how they look. its not unresonable.

forget the bonnet /boot thing, we can agrue here all day. we are looking at speakers and grille.

if design call for such tight fit that it can't be removed by the average owners (safely), i suggest it would be good to let the buyer konw by stating this fact in the owner manual perhaps? mention only offical dealer with office Harbeth tools should be opening it?

and the best is a free grille opening tool with new speakers sold? if the cost isn't silly?

'Knocking copy' in an audio democracy?

I think that this thread of late proves one valuable lesson (to us/me). There really is no place in this User Group, run by and managed by Harbeth UK, for public comments along the lines "I wouldn't buy Harbeth for this reason .....". They simply don't contribute to the general goodwill accumulated here - especially when they come from users who state in their profile that they do own Harbeth!

The purchase of hi-fi equipment is a democracy: the user is free to select from between hundreds or thousands of brands. Personally I think that 'knocking copy' has but one long term effect: it makes us as the designers/manufacturer more cautious about what we say, what we reveal, what we admit to, what we offer as solutions to inevitable issues that crop up from time to time. In short, it motivates us to do what other corporations do: admit nothing; blame the user. Surely that's not want you want or expect from me or from Harbeth? Wouldn't you want us to remain open? If so, then we have to very lightly intervene here from time to time to keep the overall tone here positive as it has been these past years.

Re: How to safely remove the grilles

Originally Posted by shseto

...most of us want to take it off to look at the cones...

Provided you do it in the privacy of your own home, fair enough - it's just that in thirty years of owning and using high quality speakers both personally and professionally, I have never felt a need to examine the cones of a speaker system that is giving no sonic cause for concern. Neither do I see any great aesthetic beauty in speaker cones - not even Harbeth RADIALs - that necessitates the removal of the grille for any reason other than the simple fashion for "exposing" the technology.

Re: How to safely remove the grilles

Originally Posted by Pluto

Provided you do it in the privacy of your own home, fair enough - it's just that in thirty years of owning and using high quality speakers both personally and professionally, I have never felt a need to examine the cones of a speaker system that is giving no sonic cause for concern. Neither do I see any great aesthetic beauty in speaker cones - not even Harbeth RADIALs - that necessitates the removal of the grille for any reason other than the simple fashion for "exposing" the technology.

there are times, honestly, i admire the sound only , not the cone to be honest but after my harbeths arrived home, i really 'wanted' to take a look at the drivers sure to confirm they are in goo shape. I have a pair of old harbeth where the tweeters were depressed by naughty kids at home and therefore I am kind of ....... always check these things and konwing the grille and is soft.....i hope you understand.

Re: How to safely remove the grilles

When I first learned of this grille removal tool, I didn't think too much about it. After all Harbeth spearkers are designed to be listened to with the grilles on. Occasionally though I would get people over who would want to see the drive units and I felt a little uncomfortable telling them the grilles were hard to remove and just showing them a picture.

After a couple of conversations with Noel (he's a nice guy), he offered to send me one to try out. It arrived last week and I've got to tell you this is one nice toy. Not only does it look good, its fun to use. Now I look for opportunities to show off those terrific looking RADIAL drivers.

Noel says he can make them up for about $22 Cdn which includes shipping. So buy one for your wife... tell her its the ultimate fridge magnet, then borrow it once and a while when you have your buddies over.